“Hi,” she says, almost shyly.
Is Addison… nervous?
“Do you need help with anything?” I ask, to help her cover up whatever it is she’s feeling.
She shakes her head. “Should be good to go. I packed some food and drinks, and a blanket.”
I nod knowingly. “A picnic?”
Addison presses her lips together and shakes her head. “No guessing.”
I grin. “I’ll just have to be patient, I guess.”
Addison smiles. “Something tells me you’re good at it.”
My smile falls a fraction, and I hope she doesn’t notice. Patience should be my middle name, and that might not be a good thing. Years of loving Lennon honed the skill, but having my heart stomped on took away the good I see in the attribute.
“Are we all set then?” I ask, moving toward the car. Which puts me closer to Addison. And to her scent. Something citrusy and floral. Whatever it is, it’s enough to make the muscles in my stomach tighten.
“All set,” Addison chirps, holding her hand out for a high-five.
My palm smacks against hers, and there’s that warmth again. Does this woman have little heaters in her palms?
The thought makes me smile, and Addison asks what’s so funny.
“Honestly?” I eye her, and she nods her head warily. “I’ve touched your hand a total of three times since I’ve known you, and each time they’ve been really warm. I was wondering if you have tiny space heaters hidden in them.”
Addison barks a laugh. “You’re crazy.” She reaches for my shoulders and playfully shoves me to my side of the car, then pulls her hands back quickly. “Oh my gosh, did I burn you?” She winces and makes a bared-teeth face.
I shake my head and laugh. I might regret being so honest with her.
We climb in the car and Addison backs out, stopping to point a remote control at the garage. The door descends and Addison lets off the brake, backing us all the way out of the driveway. She puts the car in drive and glances over at me as we roll forward, an excited smile tugging each corner of her lips up to her cheeks.
“I’d probably be as excited as you too, if I knew where we were going.” I give her a meaningful look as I say it.
“Nice try,” she sings over the rush of air flowing through the Jeep.
I smile again, looking out my window at the trees as we rush past them. So far tonight I’ve done a lot of smiling in a very short time. And before that? I feel like it has been awhile.
There was so much history with Lennon. Everything was heavy. Every motion, every word mattered. I was constantly watching, sussing out hidden meanings or searching for words unsaid. Anything that would put me ahead of Finn in the race for Lennon’s heart.
Being with Addison right now, it just feels… light. Airy. Easy. No history to look back on. Unless I count when she yelled at me in the airport. I chuckle to myself, the sound immediately swallowed up by the rush of air.
Addison drives on, following the curves in the road. The air begins to change, smelling wet and salty. We must be headed toward the coast.
Ten minutes later, I find that I’m right. We pull into a small parking lot, and through the trees I see white-capped waves. Addison parks and we both get out. I take the cooler from the back, and Addison grabs the blanket, but she also grabs a bag I hadn’t noticed before.
“What’s that?” I ask.
She ignores me. “Follow me,” she says, leading the way onto a path.
Walking behind her isn’t the worst thing in the world, especially not with those shorts she’s wearing, but I don’t want to bethatguy. Seriously though, I can’t resist completely. I’m only human.
“Are you checking out my ass?” Addison calls out, peeking back at me.
I make a face. “No.”
Addison laughs. “Why not? These are very short shorts. They’re from high school and pretty much all my clothes are dirty.”
